Թϴ, NM
When asked what makes my experience in Southwestern College’s PhD in Visionary Practice and Regenerative Leadership program, tenderly known as VPRL (VEE-Pearl), different from my other graduate school experiences, I pause and reflect. The answer is the strength of our integrated and supported community. I have two Masters’ degrees. I have been in another PhD program, yet I never felt nourished and held by a community of peers, mentors, faculty, and staff the way I have experienced at Southwestern College.
As a student, I feel seen, heard, challenged, and encouraged to grow as a part of something bigger. I compare my community at Southwestern College to the Aspen Grove as we are all diverse; however, our roots are intertwined and connected at the core. We are nourished from the same source. Each student comes from different backgrounds, has different perspectives, and is on a different path regarding how we’d like to impact the world. However, we each aim to create a world with less suffering.
The primary question we are asked prior to enrollment is, what is happening in the world that “breaks your heart?” That pain then becomes amalgamized as the focus for us to create a structure or task to alleviate that suffering. Some of my colleagues may be addressing climate change and mitigation strategies, others may be addressing the ethical integration of AI, or peace and conflict resolution studies. While the breadth and diversity of our knowledge and studies are vast, our shared goal is to cultivate leaders who can address these significant issues, making the implicit explicit. We are not merely talking about the issues; we are discussing and creating actionable steps about ways to be the change.
Community is vital. Our ancestors depended upon community for their survival when we lived in tribes as hunter-gatherers, and our neurobiology hasn’t shifted so drastically that we can negate the importance of community. I find that community is now more critical than ever, as in times of great uncertainty and turmoil, we need an anchor of like-minded individuals to nourish our growth and provide us with hope. We all know there is power in numbers. We have seen that in the Civil Rights Movement when we were called to action to create a world that values equality over comfort. I look to my peers as allies who assist me in this task. I’m grateful I chose the winding path that led me to Southwestern College and the expanding Aspen Grove I call home.
Text and Photos by VPRL Doctoral student Genell Howell
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